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Latest On Cardinals No. 1 NFL Draft Pick

April 25th, 2019 at 1:34pm CST by Zachary Links

With hours to go before the 2019 NFL Draft, the Cardinals’ plans for the No. 1 overall pick remain shrouded in secrecy. Just recently, Cardinals GM Steve Keim reached out to Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to let him know he’s still a possibility to go first overall, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 

At this point, only GM Steve Keim and a few others know the identity of the top pick, Steve Wyche of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). It still sounds like Kyler Murray will be the pick, but no one knows for sure, especially since there have been no trade talks surrounding Josh Rosen at this time.

Further complicating matters is a split of opinions in the Arizona front office about whether Rosen and Murray could co-exist on the roster together. One team source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the situation would not work after Rosen was selected to be Arizona’s QB of the future just one year ago. Another team source, however, feels that it could work.

Stay tuned.

Josh Rosen Is Unaware Of Cardinals’ Plans

April 25th, 2019 at 9:53am CST by Rory Parks

If the Cardinals select quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick tonight, as most expect, then Josh Rosen will almost certainly be traded, either during the draft or after. His trade market has been fluctuating quite a bit recently, but Arizona will likely be able to get a decent return from some team that misses out on a collegiate signal-caller over the next several days.

But as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Rosen himself remains in the dark. The team has given him no indication one way or another as to what it intends to do tonight, which would create a rather uncomfortable situation if Murray is not the pick.

If the Cardinals don’t take Murray, they will have to do a lot of work to mend fences and repair their relationship with a player that just one year ago was deemed their franchise quarterback. The same will hold true if they draft Murray and, for one reason or another, keep Rosen on the roster. Rosen has already admitted that he is frustrated by the situation, which is certainly understandable.

All of that makes it more likely, in Florio’s view, that the Cardinals will indeed take Murray tonight and will trade Rosen in the very near future. Rosen just doesn’t know that yet.

Redskins Not Interested In Josh Rosen?

April 24th, 2019 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

Previously, we heard that the Redskins have cooled on Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. Now, it sounds like they could be out of the chase entirely. The Redskins do not have any plans to trade with the Cards, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

Somehow, the market for last year’s No. 10 overall pick seems rather soft, even though there are several teams in need of a promising young quarterback. The latest word is that the Dolphins have done more homework on Rosen than anyone else, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would be willing to fork over a first or even second-round pick for the UCLA product.

The Cardinals could be hours away from selecting Kyler Murray as their quarterback of the future, but they haven’t been active in trade talks on Rosen recently. That could support word that the Cardinals are comfortable with keeping Rosen on the roster until they get the right offer, even if Murray is the pick. It could also be an indication that the Cardinals are ready to take a defender with the No. 1 choice, though that would be a shock to many.

The Chargers and Giants have also checked in on Rosen, though the G-Men have the draft ammo necessary to get a rookie QB of their own. That could leave the Chargers – who pick at No. 28 overall – as the more likely landing spot for Rosen.

Robert Nkemdiche Drawing Trade Interest; Cards To Be Patient With Josh Rosen Trade

April 23rd, 2019 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Parks
  • Assuming the Cardinals draft Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expects the club to be patient with a Josh Rosen trade (Twitter link). If they cannot get fair value for Rosen prior to the draft, the Cards could wait until after a few signal-callers come off the board and QB-needy teams start to get a little anxious. We heard earlier today that Arizona is still undecided as to what it will do with the first pick in the draft, but if the Cardinals don’t nab Murray, it would be a major surprise.

The Seahawks and Chiefs agreed to a blockbuster trade earlier today that will send Frank Clark to Kansas City. And as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the veteran trade market is expected to remain hot this week. Breer says that rival clubs are “keeping an eye” on Cardinals‘ DL Robert Nkemdiche, and given that Nkemdiche suffered a torn ACL in December, it’s possible that he could be had for minimal compensation. He has battled injuries throughout his career and has not really lived up to his potential when on the field, but as a former first-round pick who won’t turn 25 until the regular season starts, it makes sense that he would draw some interest. He did post 4.5 sacks in 10 games (six starts) last year.

Tension Between Cardinals, Patrick Peterson?

April 23rd, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

There could be trouble brewing in Arizona. Apparently, cornerback Patrick Peterson is not happy with the Cardinals after someone in the front office said something that “pissed him off,” Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic tweets. Meanwhile, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets that Peterson is disappointed with some of the decisions being made by the club’s front office. Weinfuss adds that Peterson is unlikely to report to the team’s minicamp the rest of the week.

This might help to explain Tuesday morning rumors of a pending Peterson trade, though Somers’ source says the situation is not “that big of a deal..yet.” In any event, it’s a situation worth monitoring.

When it comes to trade buzz, this isn’t P2’s first rodeo. He demanded a deal in 2018, though he apologized for his trade request in January and said he’s in Arizona “to stay.”

The Cardinals were 1-6 when P2 originally made his request last year and ultimately finished with a 3-13 record, their worst mark during Peterson’s eight-year run in the desert. Teams like the Saints and Eagles were reportedly interested in acquiring Peterson, but he rescinded his trade demand only two days after making it.

Peterson, a three-time first-team All Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, is signed through the 2020 campaign thanks to the five-year, $70MM+ extension he inked with the club in 2014. He’s slated to carry cap numbers of $11.9MM and $13.184MM in each of the next two seasons.

Last year, Peterson extended his games played/started streak to 128 and tallied two interceptions, five pass deflections, one sack, and 54 tackles. He earned his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl nod and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 ranked CB in the NFL, edging out Jason McCourty, Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, Prince Amukamara, and Jonathan Joseph. Only Stephon Gilmore, Desmond King II, Chris Harris Jr., and Levi Wallace placed ahead of him.

Latest On Cardinals, Josh Rosen

April 23rd, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen could be displaced by the selection of Kyler Murray on Thursday, but its anyone’s guess as to what will actually happen. There’s no consistent word on what the Cardinals will do at No. 1 overall, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears and the club has not made any recent trade calls centered around Rosen. 

Every week, there seems to be a new contender (or, another team dropping out) of the Rosen market. Early on, the Giants seemed to have their sights set on Rosen as an heir to Eli Manning. Then, the Redskins were heavily connected to the UCLA product, but they’ve since cooled on him. The latest word is that the Dolphins have done more homework on Rosen than any other team in the league, which may make them the leader in the clubhouse.

Still, it’s not clear whether any club will offer more than a third-round pick for last year’s No. 10 overall selection. It’s also not clear whether Arizona is willing to take pennies on the dollar for the young QB.

Cardinals View Bosa As 'Generational' Talent

April 22nd, 2019 at 8:11pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Adding some intrigue to the Cardinals‘ situation: they believe Bosa is a generational prospect. While King still has them selecting Kyler Murray at No. 1, the report they are not totally committed to this yet — despite just about everything we’ve heard in recent weeks — is a bit more interesting. Bosa visited the Cardinals earlier this month and would obviously fill the team’s need opposite Chandler Jones.

Latest On Dolphins, Josh Rosen

April 22nd, 2019 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have spent more time researching Josh Rosen than any other team in the league in recent weeks, Peter King of NBC Sports hears. That could be a sign that the Dolphins are a serious suitor for Rosen as the draft draws near. 

Rosen, last year’s No. 10 overall pick, could be up for grabs if the Cardinals follow through on taking Kyler Murray No. 1 overall on Thursday. Multiple QB-needy teams have been connected to the UCLA product, but, so far, no one sounds willing to give up a first or second rounder. The Redskins, once thought to be a logical frontrunner for his services, appear to have cooled on him, but the Dolphins would be a sensible fit.

The Dolphins inked Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their QB in March, but he’s not a long-term solution for the position. In theory, the Dolphins could select their QB of the future at No. 13 overall, but it’ll be slim pickins if the Cardinals, Redskins, and Giants all use their first-round ammo to select signal callers. Such an outcome would also hamper the Cardinals’ leverage, which may allow the Dolphins to land Rosen for their third round pick at No. 78 overall.

For what it’s worth, the Cardinals are willing to keep Rosen even if Murray is their guy – or, at least, that’s the narrative they seem to be pushing. There’s also a possibility that they’ll select a defender with the top pick, which would allow Rosen to stay in place as their starter in 2019.

Cardinals Receiving Interest In No. 1 Pick

April 22nd, 2019 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have received feeler calls from teams inquiring about trading up for the No. 1 overall pick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. However, at this time, it’s not clear how serious the Cardinals are about moving the top choice. 

For months, it has been widely rumored that the Cardinals will use the No. 1 pick to select Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. But, for what it’s worth, the Cardinals reportedly have not reached a consensus on the dynamic athlete. Some in the Cardinals’ front office would prefer to spread the wealth a bit by trading down and filling multiple holes on the roster. With several QB-needy teams also eyeing Murray (the Raiders, some say, could be in the hunt), there’s a real opportunity for the Cardinals to get excellent value if they’re willing to pass up on this year’s most intriguing signal caller.

Top defenders like Nick Bosa and Quinnen Williams would also make plenty of sense for the Cardinals and if they’re not specifically hung up on landing Bosa, they could be able to move down, fix their matador defense, and still come away with another young QB such as Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock.

The Cardinals have only a few days left to sift through the offers and make up their minds – the first round of the NFL Draft will get underway on Thursday night at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

West Draft Rumors: Cardinals, Murray, 49ers, Broncos

April 21st, 2019 at 7:30pm CST by Micah Powell

On Saturday, Arizona State receiver and local product N’Keal Harry visited the Cardinals for a private visit, NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport tweets.

Possessing the size, strength and speed of a prototypical outside receiver, Harry could be an option for Arizona should he still be on the board when the team is on the clock at No. 33. Harry should fully be in play there, as the Cardinals reportedly like the value of going receiver with their second-round pick, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller tweets.

Should the team go with Harry, it would pair him with another local standout in Christian Kirk, who impressed as a rookie before missing time with an injury down the stretch. The pair of young wideouts would join veteran and future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald in a potentially loaded receiver corps for either Josh Rosen or Kyler Murray, should the team go with the Oklahoma product as expected a week before the draft.

Here’s more draft talk from around the league:

  • Sticking with the Cardinals, though the team has been heavily linked to Murray, Kent Somer of the Arizona Republic believes the team should pass on the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He thinks the team should stick with Rosen, attempt to trade down to pick up more picks, and, if that option is not possible, take either Quinnen Williams or Nick Bosa.
  • Speaking of Williams, many NFL executives reportedly prefer the Alabama defensive lineman to Ohio State’s Bosa as the draft’s top overall prospect, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. In a poll of 14 personnel members by Bob McGinn, six chose Williams as the top picks, twice as many as Bosa, who received the second most. Also receiving votes were Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins and Jeffery Simmons.
  • The Broncos have been heavily tied to quarterback’s heading into this week’s draft. Helping pick that signal-caller, if they do indeed go that route, is new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who learned how to pick the position from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran writes. “Kyle had a lot of success (evaluating quarterbacks) and (he) showed me some things that I use in the evaluation process,” Scangarello said. “It’s a tough position to evaluate. You just get them in (the meeting room) and you try and find out what you can about them.” Denver has been linked with Drew Lock, but Daniel Jones, Murray and Dwayne Haskins could all fit the bill at No. 10 if everything falls right.
  • The 49ers have been heavily tied to either Bosa or Williams with the No. 2 pick on Thursday, but the team is looking to the skill positions for their Round 2 pick, NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco writes. At the top of the list is wide receiver, where they are looking to find a starter-level pass catcher to complement second-year wideout Dante Pettis and veteran Marquise Goodwin. Maiocco notes the receivers who have been in for a visit include Harry, A.J. Brown, Hakeem Butler, Jalen Hurd and Deebo Samuel.

 

 

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